WI Queen Elizabeth dies suddenly (accident illness or assassination – take your pick) as the Armada is approaching the Lizard, Who takes her place?
In order of hereditary right the possibles seem to be as follows.
1-James VI of Scotland. He was the one who got it OTL, but if he accepts it right now he is inheriting an all-out war with Spain. Would he risk that?
2 -Lady Arbella Stuart. She is the gt-grandchild of Margaret Tudor’s second marriage, but is only about 13 years old – perhaps not ideal at such a time of crisis. Also Henry VIII’s will (enacted into law by Parliament) passes over all Margaret’s descendants in favour of those of her sister Mary
3 - Edward Seymour, son of Lady Catherine Grey, and his brother Thomas. Both in their 20s, but as their parents could not prove they were married (it was done in secret and the clergyman who did it had made himself scarce) they were legally bastards.
Possibly, with Elizabeth dead the clergyman might have surfaced, but equally he might have been scared to get caught up in a succession dispute. OTL he only came forward after James had been on the throne several years so that all succession issues were dead.
4 - Margaret Stanley, daughter of Catherine’s aunt, Eleanor Brandon. Not disqualified, but in disgrace and forbidden the Court, and iirc separated from her husband.
5 - Ferdinando Stanley – son of MS and later Earl of Derby. Aged abt 29, but his family were seen as Catholic sympathisers (though outwardly conforming) and having a Spanish name won’t have exactly reassured anyone. OTOH, if the Council thinks that England is headed for defeat and should be dickering for the most lenient peace terms, he would probably be the best choice for that.
Thoughts anyone?
In order of hereditary right the possibles seem to be as follows.
1-James VI of Scotland. He was the one who got it OTL, but if he accepts it right now he is inheriting an all-out war with Spain. Would he risk that?
2 -Lady Arbella Stuart. She is the gt-grandchild of Margaret Tudor’s second marriage, but is only about 13 years old – perhaps not ideal at such a time of crisis. Also Henry VIII’s will (enacted into law by Parliament) passes over all Margaret’s descendants in favour of those of her sister Mary
3 - Edward Seymour, son of Lady Catherine Grey, and his brother Thomas. Both in their 20s, but as their parents could not prove they were married (it was done in secret and the clergyman who did it had made himself scarce) they were legally bastards.
Possibly, with Elizabeth dead the clergyman might have surfaced, but equally he might have been scared to get caught up in a succession dispute. OTL he only came forward after James had been on the throne several years so that all succession issues were dead.
4 - Margaret Stanley, daughter of Catherine’s aunt, Eleanor Brandon. Not disqualified, but in disgrace and forbidden the Court, and iirc separated from her husband.
5 - Ferdinando Stanley – son of MS and later Earl of Derby. Aged abt 29, but his family were seen as Catholic sympathisers (though outwardly conforming) and having a Spanish name won’t have exactly reassured anyone. OTOH, if the Council thinks that England is headed for defeat and should be dickering for the most lenient peace terms, he would probably be the best choice for that.
Thoughts anyone?
